New Geopolitical Group Seeks Funding to Become Student Organization at King’s

Photo by Ryan McPherson

A new chapter of a national society advocating restrained foreign policy says it is looking forward to getting new members as it embarks on trying to get funding and become a student organization at King’s.

The John Quincy Adams Society is a national non-partisan and non-profit organization which seeks to move American leaders into “realistic and restrained” foreign policy. The JQA operates on over 20 American college campuses — among them now being The King’s College, due to the efforts of a first-year student from Poland.

Jan Gerber, 19, a PPE major, recently founded the King’s chapter of the JQA to provide geopolitical-minded students with the insight needed to become representative leaders of non-interventionist values. Gerber said he finds this comparable with the college’s vision. He said the “mission statement of our organization ties in perfectly with the mission statement of King’s, which is to educate future leaders of society.”

Having lived most of his life in Poland — and even working for the European Union at one point — and always interested in geopolitics, Gerber said he has “gathered a lot of perspective on international issues.”

Should the King’s Council choose ultimately not to fund the society, the group said it will continue as an institutional club funded exclusively by students.

The group, Gerber said, hopes to tackle two problems—a general lack of political figures advocating cautionary foreign policy and the public’s inability to understand and address the problems posed by global politics.

“Our government should spend more time debating the issue,” he said. “Future leaders must be acquainted with the realities and challenges of American foreign policy… The public should be more informed before we commit to the issue.”

"Our chapters aim to help college students advance, both intellectually and professionally, while promoting a broader and more strategic conversation about America’s approach to international affairs."

Students interested in American foreign policy—with tensions continuing to rise with North Korea—should join the society, which is named after the country’s sixth president who was also an accomplished diplomat.

“I believe that there is a lot of potential in King’s students,” Gerber said. “I believe this organization will give them a venue to realize their potential for leadership.”

The JQA Society describes itself as a non-partisan “network of student groups focused on U.S. foreign policy, with a centering vision of restraint. Our chapters aim to help college students advance, both intellectually and professionally, while promoting a broader and more strategic conversation about America’s approach to international affairs.”

There are, however, obstacles preventing the group from receiving school funding. Since the college has “seen an exponential rise” in student organizations, Gerber said, gaining approval will be competitive. Gerber said that even if funding is not granted, the group will continue as a club, which means more fundraising on its own.

Gerber said meetings will feature plenty of networking opportunities for those who are genuinely committed. Special events will feature a talk given by a guest speaker funded by the national JQA.